1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a game controller for use to play a video game displayed on, for example, a monitor, such as a television set, entertainment system incorporating the game controller and a game machine body and a game execution system. The present invention relates to a method of downloading a game software program to the game controller.
2. Background Art
In movable bodies, such as airplanes and trains, and hotels, service has become widespread with which video game software is provided for a passenger or a lodger for each of seat or a room. A provided entertainment system is used to play a video game. A requested video game or software is distributed or provided for the passenger or the lodger at each seat or in each room by using a removable media, such as CD-ROM, a communication media, such as a network.
When the video game software is distributed with the removable media, a plurality of the same title games must be provided. Therefore, a great load must be borne by the administration side. Since one CD-ROM is able to store only one video game software, each CD-ROM must be lent for a passenger who requires to play a plurality of games. Also the foregoing case causes the administrating side to bear a load.
When video game software is distributed through a network, the load which must be borne by the distributing side when, for example, the software is distributed by the CD-ROM can be eliminated. Usually, the size of the program of the video game software is very large. Therefore, an excessively long time is required to download the software when a low-cost network is used.
An entertainment system of a type which requires a plurality of game software programs having the same title to be prepared does not permit passengers at distant seats of a movable body, such as an airplane or a train, to play a competitive-type game, such as the Japanese chess or the chess.
When video game software is distributed through a network, a costly network is required when passengers at distant seats play the competitive-type game.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a game controller which permits a passenger or a lodger to select video game software to immediately play the video game such that a load which must be borne by the administrating side is reduced, an entertainment system incorporating the game controller, a method of executing the game and a method of downloading game software to the game controller.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an entertainment system and a method of executing a game with which passengers of a movable body at distant seats to play a competitive-type game.
To achieve the foregoing objects, a game controller according to the present invention comprises: a key operation portion; communication interface means for establishing the communication with a game machine body; and storage means in which a plurality of game software programs are stored which have been selected by using the key operation portion and which are executed by a control portion of the game machine body.
To achieve the foregoing objects, an entertainment system according to the present invention comprises: a game controller; and a game machine body, wherein the game controller incorporates a key operation portion; communication interface means for establishing the communication with a game machine body and storage means in which a plurality of game software programs are stored which have been selected by using the key operation portion and which are played by a control portion of the game machine body, and the game machine body incorporates communication interface means for establishing the communication with the game controller and control means for executing a plurality of game software programs selected by using the key operation portion.
To achieve the foregoing objects, a method of executing a game comprises: a step for displaying a list of an index of a plurality of game software items on a display portion when a game controller incorporating a storage medium having a plurality of game software items stored therein is connected to a game machine body; a step for selecting one game software item from the index list of the plural game software items displayed on the display portion by using a key operation portion of the game controller; and a step for executing one game software item selected from the display portion by using the key operation portion of the game controller.
To achieve the foregoing objects, an entertainment system according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of game machine bodies to each of which a game controller is connected; a network for connecting the plural game machine bodies to one another; and a main control portion for controlling the plural game machine bodies through the network, wherein the game controller incorporates a key operation portion, communication interface means for establishing the communication with the game machine body and storage means having a plurality of game software programs stored therein and selected by using the key operation portion, the game machine body incorporates communication interface means for establishing the communication with the game controller and control means for executing the plural game software program game software program selected by using the key operation portion of the game controller, and when communication has been established between at least two game machine bodies of the plural game machine bodies, and a predetermined game software program is executed by the main control means such that synchronization is established.
To achieve the foregoing objects, a method of executing a game according to the present invention such that a network for connecting a plurality of game machine bodies to which a game controller is connected is used to execute a predetermined game software program between an arbitrary game machine body and an unspecific game machine body, the method of executing a game comprising: a step for transmitting a request for playing a game to all of residual game machine bodies when a predetermined game software program has been selected by the game controller connected to the arbitrary game machine body and a mode for retrieving an unspecific competitor has been selected; a step for connecting a communication line between the arbitrary game machine body and the unspecific game machine body when an acceptance notice has been issued from the unspecific competitor through the unspecific game machine body in response to the request for playing the game; and a step for playing the game while synchronization between the game machine bodies is being established such that the unspecific game machine body fetches, from the game controller, a game software program similar to the game software program which is executed by the arbitrary game machine body and the game machine body turns the game software program on.
To achieve the foregoing objects, a method of downloading a game software program to a game controller incorporating a storage portion, the method of download a game software program comprising the steps of: connecting the game controller to a large-capacity storage medium having the game software program stored therein; and executing download.